How To Plan A Family Vacation On A Budget

I’m participating as a blogger ambassador for the Plenti program, operated by American Express. All opinions are mine alone.

My husband and I try to set aside time for a family vacation every year. It’s not only a necessity for some much needed relaxation but for some bonding time as well. A fun family vacation doesn’t mean you have to spend a ton of money either, there are a ton of ways to stretch your dollar and still plan an awesome vacation. Today I’m sharing some of the ways that we’re saving with Plenti for our next trip!

So, what exactly isPlenti? Plenti is a new free loyalty program that helps you earn back some of what you spend in points that you can redeem on your favorite brands. Plenti brings multiple brands together into one awesome program, so when you’re filling up your tank at Exxon, renting a car at Enterprise, shopping at Rite Aid or Macy’s, or even by paying your AT&T bill you can get rewarded!

For the last month we have been saving up our points from paying our cellphone bill, getting gas, and our purchases we’ve made at Rite Aid and Macy’s. The points that we’ve earned we plan on using towards saving on the gas we would be using on our vacation, renting a car, and even buying some of our necessities for the trip like the kids bathing suits and things for the beach.

Another great feature is that when you shop with certain partners you can get even better rewards when you use your existing customer rewards card/credit card and your Plenti card.

Get started with racking up your own rewards points by downloading the Plenti app on your phone or by visiting one of their partner locations and enroll online on the Plenti website. Start saving and earn points from things you purchase on a day to day basis, regardless of the payment method that you’re using whether it’s cash, credit, or debit.

2. Rent a House

Rent a house instead of a hotel, you would be surprised at how much money this will save you! They cost less than a hotel and provide you with more space. One bonus, is that the rentals have full kitchens so it’s easier to make your own food instead of eating out every night.

3. Save on Food

We try to cook most of our meals in the rental and splurge on one or two dinners at a restaurant. Eating out with a family can get pretty pricey and easily kill your vacation budget, but if you plan some cheaper meals and your rental has a kitchen, shop at the local grocery store. For the car trips pack ahead with a cooler and easy snacks and drinks for the kids.

4. Plan Some Free Activities

One great thing about our last family vacation at the Outer Banks was that there was a ton of free stuff to do like visiting the local attractions (the lighthouses), free museums, the beach, etc. When planning for things to do on your vacation keep in mind some of the local free attractions and even discounts that you can take advantage of.

You can even check ahead on local daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social for deals on attractions and restaurants.

5. Plan Ahead

If you plan on renting a car for your trip, try to book it a few months ahead to save money. Our truck isn’t ideal for traveling on a long trip with our kids, I want something like a mini-van. So this time around we plan on renting our car with Enterprise while using our Plenti rewards.

6. Lower Your Expenses

If you’re looking for a way to save up some money for your trip try cutting out some expenses to save on your monthly bills. One way we did this was by canceling our cable, which was a whopping $160 a month. Luckily, there’s alternatives like Hulu that’s only $7.99 a month. Plus, Hulu is a partner of Plenti so we earn points paying our Hulu subscription fee every month.

Make sure to follow Plenti on Facebook and Twitter! Have you downloaded the app yet?

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